Future Tense A tale of two futuristic cities
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Nov 27, 2025 Andrew Stokols, an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies, shares insights on the political experiment of Xiong'an, emphasizing its role in Xi Jinping's vision. Eliot Brown, a Wall Street Journal reporter, highlights Neom's ambitious plans and the daunting financial challenges it faces, including cost overruns and limited public response. Dr. Nicholas Wright, a neuroscientist, discusses how understanding brain mechanisms can prevent conflicts, advocating for self-awareness in leadership and military practices to enhance decision-making and cooperation.
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State-Led Eco-Centric Urban Design
- Xiong'an rejects Western glass-and-skyscraper mimicry and emphasizes traditional Chinese design and ecology.
- Planners weave natural rivers and parks to embody an 'ecological civilization' model tied to state-led development.
Three-Layer Smart City Infrastructure
- Xiong'an is being built as 'three cities': underground, on the ground, and in the cloud with integrated digital infrastructure.
- The plan embeds large utility corridors, automated logistics and a unified data-driven urban management system.
Smart Infrastructure Doubles As Surveillance
- High sensor density in Xiong'an will make the city highly visible to authorities, blending service improvements with surveillance.
- The same systems that aid traffic or emergency response can also be repurposed for political control.
